What was you favourite book when you were a child?

[Dropinthe]

Mine was The Faraway Tree series.

It was called Marianne and Mark, and aimed at more of a teenage readership and I agree it didn't quite work although I would like to read it again.

I re-read the whole of the Dark is Rising series the other day. Actually I read a lot of kids' fiction. There is a rather good book called THe Child That Books Built which recalls the faroff era of my youth and the books that were around (I do have a copy of that around somewhere but if I go off and look at it I will get side-tracked and end up spending the afternoon re-reading all the books I recently removed from my parents' house)...

Does anyone think it helped that most of us had no actual homework until secondary school, and even then not that much - so more time for reading.

Probably yes. And also I think there was less pressure on us to read to a certain level - although that is not necessarily a good thing, of course.

YES!
I never had any homework till secondary school.
So much more sensible!

Certainly less pressure to pass tests.

Beanie Babe - glad I'm not the only one who still reads Chalet School books! I had most of them in the hard back, unabridged versions - including "Chalet SChool in Exile" which I think is quite rare now. But, radiator leaked and my dad threw the lot out - both my mum and I were very upset! I'd like to get a few replacements - though I prefereed the ones set in Switzerland to the really early ones.

WOW!!

Didn't expect such an amazing response to this thread! Started it yesterday and forgot about it!

I am astounded as to the detail in authors and book names you all have!

I also loved a fantastic book called "In search of Unicorns" by Susannah York.
(PAPS-You should remember this one-if not I highly recomend it!)
Had really surreal illustrations in it!

I too was a horsey reader-was convinced I would own one one day!

Really cheered me up reading all these lovely memories!
You know,at Christmas,I didn't really care about what toys my Mum would buy me,(never much as very broke back then and a single parent),but boy,would I look forward to some new books!

ing to myself!

Forgot, loved "The Hobbit" too!

Thanks so much for reminding me of Marianne Dreams; a book with a powerful pull on a vivid young imagination and which I couldn't get out of my head for a long time afterwards.

Acnebride, I read Marianne & Mark at the age of 10 and was also disappointed, although thrillingly it had had entire sections pencilled out by a disapproving nun at my RC primary school. I think she gets a boyfriend? I'm having to guess!

My favourite favourites at 7/8/9 were the Narnia books. I must have read them all a dozen times, plus anything by E. Nesbitt, plus...oh, you've really started something now!

Anything by Enid Blyton - with the Malory Towers series being top of the list and the Famous Five -lashing and lashings of ginger beer!

I still read all my favourite books, children's or not. At least once a year I reread the Anne books, I Capture the Castle and my mum's favourite book, Majorie Morningstar (more a teenagers read, but so so cool).
No one else read Jene's Adventures in and out of the Book then?
I still read the Chalet School books to. For anyone who wants to wallow in nostalgia, DH and I are addicted to this site - some of the books are so cheap and you can find more or less anything ABE Books

Lots of these!!! Noel Streatfield THe BEll Family was my ideal - I wanted so much to be (or be called) Virginia or Ginny!

Our local library used to get in books from the Central library which changed on a regular basis. These were called 'County Junior Fiction' and to me at eight or so they were the height of sophistication with their shiny covers.
Loved a book called Clover Coverdale and a few by John Rowe Townsend

The ordinary 'Junior Fiction' seemed a bit drab in comparison (don't judge a book.......)although I took out all the Girl Annuals (Belle of the Ballet etc etc).

There were a couple of books I loved but can't remember the titles of. One was about a town that broke away (literally) from the coast and sailed around as an island (a bit Passport-to-Pimlico-ish)and another about some children who survived a plane crash and managed to look after themselves. I think it was a translation from the French. (Sounds a bit grim I know)

Ooh - read loads of these as a kid - loved all the Enid Blyton school books, the Noel Streatfeild books as well (particularly the Gemma ones!), and the Narnia series.

My favourite books were:-

1. Shadow Guests - Joan Aitken
2. A Pattern of Roses - K.M. Peyton
3. When Marnie was There - Joan G. Robinson
4. Carrie's War - Nina Bawden
5. Silver Sword - Ian Seraillier
6. The Railway Children - E. Nesbit

Only read the Dark is Rising books about 2 years ago - 'The Dark is Rising' was on my library shelves in the classroom I taught in, and I was intrigued by it and took it home one night to read - bought the whole series the next day online!!!! Think they're brill and have read them about three times now!!

I actually remember believing that all secondary schools were girls only and boarding, so immersed was I in the world of St Clares! lol

The Quangle Wangle Hat (Edward Lear)and The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. also Malory Towers books, Enid Blyton.

oooh scotlou - HB exile is much sought after

I'm an Austria fan though. Have a full set but they're a mix of HBs and PBs. I'm slowly buying more via ebay to start dd's collection although it'll be my luck that she won't be interested

Loved all Rosemary Sutcliffe, Noel Streatfield, The narnia, all the Little House on The Priarie books (still love these), Tolkien,

and so many others

I still read some of them from time to time,

Secret Seven
Famous Five
Naughtiest girl in school - about a girl called Elizabeth who goes to boarding school and is very naughty!! She had a trunk and tuck box and brown buckled up shoes! I loved it. Tried to get my mum and dad to send me to boarding didn't work though!

I capture the Castle is a teenage read, surely?

I was about 17 when I first read it, so the heroine's thoughts and ideas seemed perfectly normal to me

Teeavee- sorry for being a bit slow, had to go to work, earn some money, neglect my mumsnet habit.

My PhD is on the marginalisation of women and children in Gothic lit from a psychoanalytic perspective, particularly from the point of view of literary innocence. Do I sound ridiculously dull?

And yes I do use quite a lot of feminist secondary criticism.

there's a fab list of stuff here, most of which i've not thought of for years...

any moomin fsns? particular fave of mine

kleggie - sounds interesting!

i'm working on C18th women's writing...

OMG I haven't time to go through all these posts but memories are flooding back! Will def revisit this tomorrow!
Meanwhile, what about Philippa Pearce,(generally) W.Meade Faulkner (Moonfleet),A little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Got to go unfortunately1

I think it's interesting Roosmoo! And C18th women's writing, how great! Any particular favourites?

Message withdrawn

kleggie - mostly have researched Eliza Haywood. perhaps we should get over to the student threads??